English
contaminant
Contaminant comes from French contaminer ‘to contaminate’, from Latin *tāmen ‘all the same, just the same’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *só ‘this’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*só‘this’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sei‘thus, so’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtam‘so, so much, to such an extent, to such a degree’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CE*tāmen‘all the same, just the same’reconstructed
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcontaminōas contāmināre‘to touch, bring into contact’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentcontaminer‘to contaminate’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentcontaminantpresent participle of contaminer
- Englishtodaysame form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*só‘this’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sei‘thus, so’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtam‘so, so much, to such an extent, to such a degree’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CE*tāmen‘all the same, just the same’reconstructed
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcontaminōas contāmināre‘to touch, bring into contact’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentcontaminer‘to contaminate’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentcontaminantpresent participle of contaminer
- Englishtodaysame form
Equivalent to contaminate + -ant
Proto-Indo-European *teh₂g- ‘to touch’
…
Latin contāminō ‘to touch together, blend, mingle, corrupt,…’
Latin contāminātus ‘touched, contacted’
Middle English contaminat ‘sullied, defiled’
Middle English contaminaten ‘to defile’
English contaminate
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *só ‘this’
then, these, soon, thereabouts, 8 more
through Proto-Italic *sei ‘thus, so’
through Latin tam ‘so, so much, to such an extent, to such a degree’
Today it means
noun That which contaminates; an impurity; foreign matter.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *só / contaminant